Bottle carrier



Aug. 22, 1967 M. ROY ETAL. 3,337,046

BOTTLE CARRIER Filed Dec. 29, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 JEA IV- PIERRE M4550;

M. ROY ETA;

Aug. 22, 1967 BOTTLE CARRIER 3 Sheets-Sheet :2

Filed Dec. 29, 1965 .ZNVF/VTU'QS. MARCEL ROY JEAIV-PIEPPE' M550 Aug. 22, 1967 ML ROY ETAL BOTTLE CARR IER Fild Dec. 29, 1965 $heetsSheet 3 J/VVEA/TUQS.

ROY JEAN PIERRE MASSOA MARCEL ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,337,046 BOTTLE CARRIER Marcel Roy, Chelles, and Jean-Pierre Masson, Sevres, France, assignors to Cartonneries de Saint-Germain, Paris, France, a French compan Filed Dec. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 517,240 Claims priority, application France, Dec. 31, 1964, 563 0 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The construction of a bottle carrier is described in respect to two embodiments of carrier and two blanks for fabricating the carrier. The carrier is made from a blank which may comprise a single sheet of material such as paper, reinforced paper, cardboard, fiberboard and the like, and the blank comprises a substantially rectangular sheet having handle formations at each end and with curved flaps defined along an edge which may be bent inwardly and which include bottle-engaging cutouts for engaging around the necks of bottles which are to be carried in the carrier. In this embodiment the carrier blank is folded about a centerline and the bottles are stacked on their sides or rounded portions one above the other and the side edges of the carrier are slung around the sides of the bottles in the manner of a sling. The handles of each end are arranged in abutting relationship and include cutouts to permit positioning of the fingers of ones hand therethrough for carrying the container and, in the embodiment illustrated, three bottles.

In the alternate embodiment of the invention the carrier is provided for a single bottle and it is made from a blank which has a central score line defining the center of the carrier to permit each side to be folded upwardly to juxtapose two handle portions which advantageously may be sealed together over a bottle carried in a sling fashion by the material of the carrier disposed between the handles. In this embodiment, the carrier advantageously includes cutout portions which may be aligned over the lables of the bottles so that they will be exhibited through the carrier. The flaps formed on the edges of this embodiment include a central curve portion and wing elements which may be wrapped around the neck of the container.

Summary of the invention This invention relates in general to the construction of a bottle carrier and in particular to a new and useful bottle carrier construction and to a blank for constructing the same.

The present invention is an improvement over the prior art in the provision of a simply constructed carrier which may be made from a single blank of material such as paper, paperboard, cardboard and the like. In its simplest form the carrier comprises a foldable sheet of material which may be folded to embrace one or more bottles in a manner such that their ends are engaged by inwardly foldable flap portions and the extremities of the blank provide handles for carrying purposes. In a preferred arrangement, the bodies of the bottles to be carried are enclosed by a cardboard band whose extremities are fixed between the bottles and are formed with handle flaps. The bottles are maintained in place by engaging the bottle necks between two infolded lateral portions of the band which are provided with notches which engage around the necks of the bottles.

The carrier may be made of a construction permitting a plurality of bottles to be aligned over one half portion of the band which is then folded to bring the two handle elements formed at the opposite extremities of the band into juxtaposition. The edge portions of the band are then folded inwardly to cause them to engage the necks of the bottles and to retain the bottles in position. The band, however, may be made to accommodate only a single bottle, if desired, and it may be preferably provided with cutouts or other means for facilitating the identification of the contents of the carrier such as for viewing the label of the bottle therein. The end portions of the carrier which engage the bottle necks may advantageously comprise merely curved cutouts for encompassing the bottle necks or additional wing members for fastening the necks of the bottles in position.

Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide an improved carrier for bottles which comprises an encircling band with handle elements at each end which may be juxtaposed for clamping a plurality of bottles between the folded band portions and with means at the edge of the band for holding the bottle necks in position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a blank for forming a bottle carrier which comprises a flat sheet having a central score line for folding two side elements of the blank over one or more bottles and having end extremities of the blank formed as handle elements which may be juxtaposed with the sides of the blanks including means for forming bottle neck engaging flaps.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carrier and a carrier blank which are simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank for making a bottle carrier constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational View of the carrier constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the carrier indicated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a section taken along the lines V-V of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a and FIG. 7 is a side elevational View made from the blank of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention embodied therein in FIG. 1 comprises a blank formed of a single sheet of material such as paper, reinforced paper, cardboard, fiberboard and the like and comprises a substantially rectangular blank sheet generally designated :1 having spaced rectilinear score lines I], c and d which demarcate end handle flaps a1, a1 and bottle overlay flaps a5 and a6. The handle flaps a1, al are each provided with a marginal strip a3 of adhesive material along their boundary with the adjacent bottle overlay flaps a5 and a6, respectively. Each handle flap a2 is also scored and slit in a curve to define handle cutouts g, g.

Each of the bottle overlay flaps a5 and a6 is provided with curvilinear score lines e and 1, respectively, which define respective bottle neck engaging flaps a4, a4. The outer edges of the bottle neck engaging flaps a4, a4 are cut away and slit in order to form curved recesses having upstanding small flap elements h1 which may be folded upwardly to engage around a neck of a container (FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 plan view of another embodiment of blank;

of the folded carrier When the blank is to be used as a carrier, the bottles be carried are oriented in a row along one of the bottle ngaging flaps a or a6. The other bottle engaging flap is 16H folded over the bottles by folding along the score inc 0. At the'same time the flaps a4, a4 are bent inwardly long their respective score lines e and f and the curved 'penings h are oriented with the respective necks of the IOttlES which are aligned on the flap engaging portion a5 )1 a6. The handles a1, al are then moved into juxtaposiion and are sealed together along the marginal adhesive rrea a3, a3. The cutouts g are then either folded upwardly 1nd backwardly as indicated in FIG. 4 or one of them may )e folded into the opening defined by the other and then folded backwardly and upwardly therewith.

As indicated in FIGS. 2 to 5, the blank of FIG. 1 may accommodate three bottles m which are oriented one against the other. The bottles m are held one against the other because the spacing of the score lines b, c and d is such that three bottles will be held securely in the blank indicated in FIG. 1. In FIGS. 2, 3 and 5 it can be seen how the flaps a4, a4 are bent in order to insure that the notches it come to bear around the bottle necks m1 below the rim opening m2 and above the body m3 of the bottles (FIG. 5). In some instances it is desirable that the individual bottles also be covered with a protective casing in order to insulate one body m3 from the next.

In the embodiment indicated in FIGS. 6 and 7, there is provided a blank generally designated a having score lines b, c and d defined therein in order to demarcate handle flaps a1, a1 and bottle overlay flaps a5 and a6, respectively. In this embodiment, the spacing between the score lines a, b and c are such that the carrier will accommodate only a single bottle. The bottle overlay flap a5 is also provided with cutout portions or windows i and j for permitting a viewing of the label and the vintage or date, for example. Score lines e and f define bottle neck engaging flaps a4, a4 on each of the bottle engaging flaps a5 and a6, respectively. In this embodiment, the bottle engaging flaps a4 are provided with score lines k, k on each side of a cutout portion h. Wings a6 are formed at the exterior of each score line k and they may be folded around the bottle necks.

In addition, the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 includes a reinforcing or holding tongue formation 1 formed as an extension of at least one of the handle flaps a1. The tongue I includes an extension of the adhesive bands a3 and it may be folded upwardly over and secured to the opposite one of the juxtaposed handle portions a3 when the carrier is folded to the position indicated in FIG. 7.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A bottle carrier blank comprising a substantially rectangular sheet having a substantially central score line and a score line spaced inwardly from each sheet end defined across said sheet, said central score line and each of said end score lines defining handle flap portions adjacent each end of said sheet and two complementary bottle overlay flaps on each side of said central score line, and a curved score line extending inwardly from the same edge of each of said bottle overlay flaps and defining a bottle engaging flap, said bottle engaging flaps being bendable along said curved score line away from said bottle overlay flap to engage the neck of a bottle and having a curved cutout edge portion engageable around the bottle neck.

2. A bottle carrier blank according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said handle flap portions includes adhesive for adhesively securing said handle flap portion to the other of said handle flap portions when said blank is folded about said central score line.

3. A bottle carrier blank according to claim 1, wherein said bottle engaging flaps are substantially coextensive with each respective body overlay flaps and each includes a plurality of curved cutout portions adjacent the edge thereof for engagement around a bottle neck.

4. A bottle carrier blank according to claim 1, wherein said bottle engaging flaps include wing portions on each side of the curved cutout edge for engaging around a neck of a bottle.

5. A bottle carrier blank according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said handle flap portions includes a projecting tongue on one side, said tongue being foldable around the other of said handle portions when said handle portions are juxtaposed.

6. A bottle carrier blank according to claim 5, wherein said tongue includes adhesive thereon for adhesively securing said tongue to one of said handle portions.

7. A bottle carrier comprising a sheet of a material such as cardboard having a substantially central score line and being folded around the score line to engage at least one bottle, said carrier including handle portions defined at each end, said handle portions being juxtaposed and secured together with'the bottles embraced between the central score line and said handle portions, the sides of said carrier being folded inwardly and including cutout portions engaged around the necks of the bottles enclosed by said carrier, said bottles being clamped between said handle portions and the central score line, with the sides of said carrier on each side of said score line extending around said bottles, the ends of said bottle carrier being bent inwardly along a curve line and having edges with cutout portions at spaced locations which engage respective ones of the bottles clamped therein.

8. A bottle carrier comprising a sheet of a material such as cardboard having a substantially central score line and being folded around the score line to engage at least one bottle, said carrier including handle portions defined at each end, said handle portions being juxtaposed and secured together with the bottles embraced between the central score line and said handle portions, the sides of said carrier being folded inwardly and including cutout portions engaged around the necks of the bottles enclosed by said carrier, wherein said sheet is large enough to accommodate one bottle between said score line and said handle portions, the ends of said portions between said score line and said handle portions each including fiaps which may be folded inwardly around the neck of the bottle with wing portions thereon which may be bent around said bottle.

9. A bottle carrier according to claim 8, wherein at least one of said portions of said blank between said central score line and said handle portion is provided with at least one opening for viewing the bottle within said carrier.

10. A bottle carrier according to claim 8, wherein at least one of said handle portions includes a projecting tongue, said tongue being bent around the other of said handle portions when the latter is in juxtaposition with the first handle portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,076,018 10/1913 Clark 229- 2,085,104 6/1937 Levinson 229-52 2,173,494 9/1939 Rous 229-52 2,359,297 10/1944 Brogden 229-16 2,653,750 9/1953 Vines 220-112 2,846,115 8/1958 La Gaurdia 220-113 2,950,041 8/ 1960 Stone 229-40 3,126,145 3/1964 Struble 229-52 3,198,378 8/1965 Farquhar 220-108 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner. GEORGE O. RALSTON, Examiner. 

7. A BOTTLE CARRIER COMPRISING A SHEET OF A MATERIAL SUCH AS CARDBOARD HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRAL SCORE LINE AND BEING FOLDED AROUND THE SCORE LINE TO ENGAGE AT LEAST ONE BOTTLE, SAID CARRIER INCLUDING HANDLE PORTIONS DEFINED AT EACH END, SAID HANDLE PORTIONS BEING JUXTAPOSED AND SECURED TOGETHER WITH THE BOTTLES EMBRACED BETWEEN THE CENTRAL SCORE LINE AND SAID HANDLE PORTIONS, THE SIDES OF SAID CARRIER BEING FOLDED INWARDLY AND INCLUDING CUTOUT PORTIONS ENGAGED AROUND THE NECKS OF THE BOTTLES ENCLOSED BY SAID CARRIER, SAID BOTTLES BEING CLAMPED BETWEEN SAID HANDLE PORTIONS AND THE CENTRAL SCORE LINE, WITH THE SIDES OF SAID CARRIER ON EACH SIDE OF SAID SCORE LINE, WITH THE SIDES AROUND SAID BOTTLES, THE ENDS OF SAID BOTTLE CARRIER BEING BENT INWARDLY ALONG A CURVE LINE AND HAVING EDGES WITH CUTOUT PORTIONS AT SPACED LOCATIONS WHICH ENGAGE RESPECTIVE ONES OF THE BOTTLES CLAMPED THEREIN. 